Dishwashing apparatus having detergent dispensing means



J. G. IDLE May 15, 1951 DISK-{WASHING APPARATUS HAVING DETERGENT DISPENSING MEANS Filed Oct. 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR TAMI-2s G. IDLE WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY M y 1951 J. G. IDLE 2,552,852

DISHWASHING APPARATUS HAVING DETERGENT DISPENSING MEANS Filed Oct. 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY (SJ-1.1145 -E 1/, w. M

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PAT ICE DISHWASHING: APPARATUS, HAVING DETERGENT DISPENSING James Gales Idle, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to! Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East-Pitts,- burgh, Pa.,. a corporation of Bennsylvania;

Application October 16, 1945', Serial'No. 622,568

4' Claims; 1!

invention relates to a detergent dispenser, more particularly to a detergent dispenser adapted for'use in a dishwasher, and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for dispensing detergent in a dishwasher ofthe typewherein water is first projected generally in one direction for removing loose soils from the dishes and then in a second direction forcleaning the dishes.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to pro vide an improved dispenser for detergent applicable to an automatically cycled dishwasher wherein water is first sprayed downwardly: over the dishes for flushing loose'soil's therefrom and is then projected upwardly for securing the dishes, wherein engagement of the downwardly sprayed? water and the detergent is prevented during the flushing operation and wherein the upwardly projected water and the detergent are mixed for providing a detergent solution during the securing operation- These and other objects are efiected' by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying; drawings, forming a part" of thisapplication, in which:

Fig. I is: a vertical cross section taken through a dishwasher having my novel detergent dispenser applied thereto;

Fig. 2, is a perspective. view of a dishrack shown inFig; 1'. and defining the support for the dispenser; and,

Figs. 3: and 4'. aresectional views showing" other embodiments of the. invention.

Reference will; now be had tothe, drawings wherein I have shown my invention applied to: a domestic: type of dishwasher having a vat; Ill en,- closing an open top washing chamber It in. which the dishes arestored during the washing cycle. A suitable hinged and gasketed lid I2- closes; the washing chamber II. The vat Ill isprovided with a bottom wall I3- which slopes generally downwardly and inwardly'to define a sump I 4 for a body of washing water; Hot water from a suitable sourceis admitted to. the washing chamber I'I through a conduit. I5 which terminates in one or more spray nozzles t6, disposed in theuppermost region of the washing chamber I-I'. Only one nozzle I6 is shown, but it will be understood that. a plurality of nozzles may be employed for directing the water genera-11y downwardly throughout all portions of the washing chamber H. The flow of water through the nozzle: W is controlled by a valve Ill shown, by way of ex ample, as a solenoid operated valve. Water is discharged from the washing chamber I I to a suitable drain through a discharge conduit I8 having a discharge valve I9 arranged therein. The latter' may be actuated in any well-understood manner, for example, mechanicallyby a cam 21. During the washing-portion of the cycle, the water in the sump I4 is projected upwardly within the washing chamber II at relativelyhigh velocity by a rotating impeller 22; the latter beingdriven in a well-understood mannerby means of a shaft 23' ofan electric motor 24. The l'atter may be secured to the bottom wall If3- of" the vat Ill. by a supporting structure, indicated generally at 25'.

The dishes to be-cl'eansed are stored in upper and lower rack structures, generally indicated at 26 and 21, respectively. Only so much ofthe rack structures 26 and 2T is shown for an=understand ing of'this invention. It will be understood that cups, saucers, table glasses. and" silverwareare usually carried by the upper rackstructure 26 and that larger dishes; such as table plates, are supported by the lower rack structure 21. An upper rack structure of the typeshown at. 26 is disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 613,768; filed August 31", 1945-, which has matured into Patent 2,469,966 granted May 1'0, 1949, and a suitable l'ower rackstructure, such as shown at 21, is. disclosed and claimed in my now abandoned copending' application Serial No. 593,921, filed May 15, 1945. The lower rack 21 rests upon the bottom wall of the vat I8 and has upstanding wire columns 28 clipped thereto for the support of'the upper rack structure 215' in a well-understood manner.

The upper rack structure 26 may include an outer portion 29, partially shown in Fig. l and carriedby the columns 28'. An inner'rack portion 3! is supportedby the outer rack portion 29 by means of outwardly-projecting supporting fingers 32 which rest upon the outer rack portion 2-9.

In the operation of a dishwasher of the type shown in the drawings, the dishesto be cleansed are stored on the rack structures 26 and 22? and the lid i2 is closed. Wateris: then admitted to the washing chamber: I I for a period of time, such as, for-example, one: minute to a minute and a half, during which time the discharge valve I8 is open for the discharge of water as fast as it is admitted. This is a. flushing period during which loose soils, such as. food particles, are flushed from the dishes andi immediately carried tothe-drain. No detergentshould bei used. at this time. At the conclusion ofi'the flushing opera.-

' sisting in the dissolving of the soils on the dishes;

At the conclusion of the washing operation, the

drain valve I9 is opened for discharging the vitiated washing fluid from the chamber l l. The drain valve [9 is again closed and clear water is admitted to the chamber l l to be projected by the impeller 22 for the rinsing of the dishes. One or more rinses may be employed. At the conclusion of the last rinse, the lid l2 may be'opened to permit water vapor to escape from the chamber H and the heated dishes will rapidly dry within the chamber ll.

From the foregoing, it will b noted that no detergent is employed during the flushing operation which initiates the washing cycle, as the flushing water is immediately discharged from the chamber I I as fast as it is admitted, and that a detergent is employed during the washing step in the cycle which follows the flushing step. Heretofore, detergent-admitting or dispensing devices have been employed which are operated at the beginning of the washing step without the necessity of the operator opening the lid !2. These devices have been manually or automatically operated. Such devices have been expensive to construct and materially add to the cost of the dishwasher and, furthermore, they have been unreliable in operation, generally speaking, because their operating mechanisms are attacked by the detergent and eventually become stuck or 'diificult to operate. Furthermore, undissolved detergent may collect in such devices and becomes unsightly and odoriferous.

In accordance with my invention, I have provided a device for admitting detergent to the washing water at the conclusion of the flushing operation, which device is inexpensive to construct and which, in tests conducted by me, has proven very reliable in operation. My improved dispenser includes, preferably, an open top perforate container 35 in which the operator may deposit the detergent at the time the dishes are loaded in the racks 26 and 21. The container 35 is positioned in a regionof the washing chamber II where it is contacted by the water projected during the washing operation and maybe supported in any suitable manner. The container 35 includes an outwardly-extending flange 36 at its upper side, which is, preferably, removably supported by, an arcuate wire member 31 fixed to.

one of the rack structures 26 or 21, for example, the inner rack' portion 3| of the upper rack structure'26. The container 35 and its support 31 are proportioned to fit within an inverted cupshaped member to be washed, such as a drinking glass 38. As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, the container 35 is disposed upwardly within the glass 38 so that'the glass 38 defines a water shed for preventing water sprayed downwardly by the nozzles Hi from contacting the. granular detergent stored within the container 35 duringthe flushing operation. During the washing operation, water projected upwardly by the impeller 22 in copious quantities enters the bottom of the glass 38 and. washes a substantial portion of the de- V 4 V tergent from the container 35 and dissolves any detergent which may remain in the container 35. All of the detergent is rapidly dissolved in the washing water which is violently agitated at this time by the impeller 22.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the container 35 is provided with an open bottom, dome-shaped cover 39 which surrounds the container 35 in spaced relation and which maybe clipped thereto by spring clips 4|. As in the embodiment previously described, the operator may fill the container 35 with granular detergent, after which the domeshaped cover 39 is clipped to the container 35 and the assembly then disposed upon the arcuate supporting wire 31.

The container 35 need not be perforate throughout its extent but may be formed of a solid wall, as shown at 42 in Fig. 4. In this embodiment the detergent is forced or floated from the container 42 by the copious quantities of water deflected into the container by the glass 38, which, in this embodiment, functions as a cover for the container. A relatively small opening 43 may be provided in the bottom of the container 42 for draining water therefrom. A container of the type shown at 42, without the opening 43, may be employed where a liquid detergent is to be dispensed. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided an improved detergent dispenser for a dishwater which functions to retain the detergent during the flushing or prewashing operation in a washing cycle, and which immediately permits the discharge of the detergent to the washing water at the beginning of the washing or scouring operation. My novel dispenser may be used with manually-operated machines,

but is particularly adaptable to so-called auto-' a clock-operated timer, as is well understood.

The mechanism for opening and closing the inlet and drain valves l1 and 19 and for initiating and terminating operation of the motor24 has not been disclosed in this application, as it forms no part of the present invention. 7

While the invention has been shown in several forms, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications with-' out departing fromthe spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a dishwashenthe combination of a vat,

means for supporting dishes to be washed within the vat, means for admitting water to the vat and including a nozzle disposed within the vat for directing the water generally downwardly over the dishes therein, an impeller within the vat for projecting Water upwardly within the vat over the dishes for cleaning the same, an open top perforate vessel for holding granular detergent, a holder for the vessel carried by said supporting means, and a watershed spaced'above' and covering said vessel, said vessel and watershed being arranged within the vat intermediate the nozzle and the impeller, the construction and ar rangement being such that water directed by the nozzle into the vat engages said watershed and is deflected thereby from the vessel, said watershed being effective to intercept water projected by the impeller and deflect the same into said vessel for flushing detergent therefrom.

2. In a dishwasher, the combination of a vat, an impeller disposed adjacent the bottom of the vat for projecting water upwardly within the vat during the washing period of operation, an openwork rack disposed within the vat above the impeller for supporting a plurality of tea cups and drinking glasses or the like in inverted position so that some of the water projected upwardly by the impeller enters the inverted cups and glasses, means for admitting water to the vat prior to said washing period to provide a flushing period of operation, said means including a nozzle elevated with respect to the rack for raining the water admitted to the vat over said rack and the inverted cups and glasses carried thereon during said flushing period, an open top container of perforate construction for detergent, said container being of small enough size to be disposed within a conventional tea cup or drinking glass with clearance space between the container and the interior surface of said cup or glass, said rack having means supporting said container in an upright position thereon in which it is adapted to be covered by a conventional tea cup or drinking glass or the like placed in inverted position over said container whereby said cup or glass will shield said container from the water discharged from said nozzle during the flushing period and deflect some of the water projected upwardly by the impeller into said container during the washing period.

3. In a dishwasher, the combination of a vat, a wire rack disposed within the vat for supporting dishes, cups, glasses and the like, means for admitting water to the vat to provide a preliminary flushing period of operation, said water admitting means including a, nozzle disposed adjacent the top of the vat and elevated with respect to the rack for raining the water over the rack, an impeller arranged within the vat adjacent the bottom thereof and below said rack for projecting water upwardly through the rack during a subsequent washing period of operation, an opentop perforate container for detergent of a size small enough to be freely received within a conventional tea cup or drinking glass with clearance space between the container and the interior surface of the cup or glass, said rack having means removably supporting said container thereon in an upright position in which it is adapted to be covered by a conventional tea cup or drinking glass placed in inverted position on the rack over said container whereby said cup or glass shields said container from water discharged directly from said nozzle during the flushing period and deflects a portion of the water projected upwardly by the impeller into said container during the washing period.

4. In a dishwasher the combination of a vat, a wire rack disposed within the vat for supporting dishes, cups, glasses and the like, means for admitting water to the vat to provide a preliminary flushing period of operation, said water admitting means including a spray nozzle disposed adjacent the top of the vat and elevated with respect to the rack for raining water over the rack, an impeller arranged within the vat adjacent the bottom thereof below the rack rotatable about a vertical axis for projecting Water upwardly through the rack during subsequent washing periods of operation, an opentop perforate container for detergent, said container being small enough to be received within a conventional tea cup or drinking glass with clearance space between the container and the inner surface of said cup or glass, said rack having means removably supportingsaid container in an upright position on the rack offset from the axis of the impeller with the space around said container being unobstructed so that it is adapted to be covered by a conventional tea cup or drinking glass placed in inverted position. on the rack over said container whereby said cup or glass shields said container from water discharged from said nozzle during said flushing period and deflects a portion of the Water projected upwardly by the impeller into the container during the washing period.

JAMES GALE IDLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 890,642 Harrison et a1. June 16, 1908 1,350,304 Eoslin Aug. 24, 1920 1,584,913 Wilson May 18, 1926 1,640,319 Halsey Aug. 23, 1927 1,916,806 Myrick July 4, 1933 1,997,982 Stevens Apr. 16, 1935 2,127,778 Lewis Aug. 23, 1938 2,155,868 Pauly et a1. Apr. 25, 1939 2,315,890 Bader Apr. 6, 1943 

